EXPERIMENT NO: 4
Aim of the experiment:
Study the cut section model of carburetor solex type and Maruti car type.
Apparatus required:
Model of carburetor.
Theory:
Carburetor is a device that produces air fuel mixture for internal combustion engine.
There are six different circuits of carburetor. The circuits are:
1. Float circuit
2. Idle circuit
3. Main metering circuit.
4. Power circuit
5. Accelerator pump circuit.
6. Choke circuit.
Float Circuit:
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The float chamber holds a quantity of ready-to-use fuel at atmospheric pressure. Its
supply is refilled by a float driven valve. As the level drops, the float drops too and
opens an inlet, which allows the fuel pump to deliver more fuel to the float chamber.
The float rises with the replenished fuel level, closing off the inlet. To allow
atmospheric pressure to act on the fuel, the float bowl is open to either the atmosphere
(unbalanced carburetor), the air horn above the venturi (balanced carburetor), or the
charcoal canister (evaporative emission carburetor). If the float level is too low, more
airflow through the venturi will be required to pull out the fuel, leaning out the air–fuel
ratio. Consequently, too high of a float level will cause the mixture to be too rich. Float
adjustment is important when rebuilding a carburetor. Flooding a carburetor also
produces rich mixtures. Flooding can be caused by a worn needle and seat, or by dirt
trapped between the needle and seat that causes the level in the float bowl to rise and
fuel to dribble from the nozzle, resulting in little or no venturi action.
Idle Circuits:
When the throttle valve is closed or nearly closed, the manifold vacuum created behind
the throttle is sufficient to pull a small amount of fuel and air through small openings
located after the butterfly valve. This design is called the idle
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circuit, and it enables the engine to keep running when there is not enough air speed
through the venturi to create a vacuum. As the throttle valve opens slightly, the
manifold vacuum is reduced, so additional small openings are revealed to compensate
for this. This design is the “off-idle” circuit.
Main Metering Circuit:
The main metering circuit comes into action above fast idle, as airflow through the
venturi increases. A main metering jet in the float bowl meters fuel passing into the
discharge nozzle. How much fuel leaves the nozzle depends on the pressure difference
created by the airflow through the venturi. As the throttle opens, and airflow increases
and speeds up, more and more fuel is drawn from the discharge nozzle. However, the
mass of air does not increase in proportion with the speed, and as a result, high speeds
can produce a mixture that is too rich. To correct this, more air can be added. This is
called compensation by air correction.
As the throttle opens and engine speed increases, the level in the jet well falls,
exposing air bleed holes in the discharge tube. Air can now mix with the fuel and
prevent the mixture from becoming too rich. As the throttle opens farther, the fuel level
falls too, exposing more air holes. More air bleeds in to maintain the correct mixture.
Main metering fuel flow can typically be adjusted by replacing the removable jets with
jets having larger or smaller orifices.
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Power Circuit:
The size of the main jet is selected to provide the best mixture for economy under
cruising conditions. When the throttle is open wide for maximum power, a richer
mixture is required. The extra fuel is provided by a power valve, with a vacuum piston
and rod opening it as it is needed. At low speeds, intake manifold vacuum is
transferred through a passage to the vacuum piston. This holds the piston up and keeps
the power valve closed. With the throttle valve fully open for full engine power, the
vacuum in the intake manifold falls. A spring pushes down the vacuum piston and rod
to open the power valve. Additional fuel flows through the power valve to enter the
fuel well and add to the fuel from the main jet. This provides the extra fuel needed to
enrich the mixture for full power. Some carburetors use metering rods instead of a
vacuum piston. The metering rods are pulled down into the main jets at idle and cruise
to restrict the fuel flow. When manifold vacuum drops under heavy load, springs push
the metering rod(s) up, increasing the opening size of the main jet(s). Other carburetors
use a diaphragm type power valve that opens an additional passage when vacuum
drops under load.
Accelerator Pump Circuit:
Extra fuel is also needed for accelerating. Suddenly opening the throttle increases the
airflow, but fuel cannot flow from the discharge nozzle quickly enough to
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match it. An extra squirt of fuel is needed, which is where the accelerator pump circuit
comes into play. Depressing the pedal compresses a duration spring that exerts a force
on the plunger of a small plunger pump. This pressurizes fuel below the plunger and
closes off the inlet valve. Fuel flows past a check valve and enters the airstream from a
discharge nozzle above the venturi. The duration spring extends the time for delivering
the fuel. Releasing the pedal lets the linkage move the plunger upward. The check
valve closes and the inlet valve opens to let fuel refill the pump chamber from the float
bowl, priming it for the next shot of fuel.
Thus, whenever the throttle is opened, the accelerator pump discharges a small amount
of fuel into the throat of the carburetor.
The Choke:
Fuel ignites less readily when cold, and if the engine is also cold, then some fuel
vapor can condense out of the air–fuel mixture onto the intake manifold and cylinder
walls. This loss of air makes the combustible mixture leaner. To compensate for this,
a valve known as the choke restricts the flow of air at the entrance to the air horn,
lowering the pressure at the venturi and off-idle circuits even though the throttle valve
has been opened. In this way, fuel is sucked into the incoming air through all the fuel
circuits—idle, off-idle, and main—at the same time.
The choke can be controlled manually by a cable that operates the valve. However,
most are controlled automatically so that the valve is closed when the engine is cold
and opens progressively as the engine warms up. When the engine is warm, the fuel
drawn into the manifold vaporizes readily, and the engine can be started without the aid
of a choke. The choke should operate as briefly as possible. Overusing it produces rich
mixtures that cause exhaust pollution and increase fuel consumption. Some later-
model carburetors that used a cable- operated choke also used a spring-loaded choke
release that turned the choke off after a set time.
C.V. RAMAN POLYTECHNIC, BHUBANESWAR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Conclusion:
Different circuits of carburetor are successfully studied.
C.V. RAMAN POLYTECHNIC, BHUBANESWAR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
